Google buys Softcard technology to improve Wallet, will pre-install it on new US Android devices

Google has announced a deal with Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T to pre-install Google Wallet on all of their Android devices in the US from later this year. As part of the agreement, it’s buying technology from Softcard, the mobile payments app owned by the three carriers.

There had been rumors that Google was teeing up to buy Softcard – which previously went under the now-unfortunate name of ISIS – but that doesn’t seem to have happened. Instead, it’s gobbling up some of the company’s intellectual property, which it says will improve Google Wallet.